A Call for Predictable Demand

For regionalized vaccine manufacturing to thrive, multiple factors must come together, with demand being one crucial element. Predictable long-term demand is vital to unlocking complementary investments in technology, science, and policy infrastructures, and helping to reduce uncertainty which builds market confidence. Interconnected pull and push incentives will accelerate developments, fuel innovation, cut costs and strengthen infrastructure, towards a more resilient regionalized vaccine production ecosystem.

On September 24, 2024, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, 40 global leaders from public health, industry, trade, and civil society met to discuss the critical need for predictable demand to sustain regionalized vaccine manufacturing efforts. This call to action is based on their discussion exploring political, economic, regulatory, and trust challenges in establishing reliable, long-term demand.

1. Commit to purchasing regionally produced quality vaccines beyond making political statements. Changes to national, regional, and global procurement laws and practices may be needed, for example to allow for multiannual procurement. Countries and their partners must be prepared to offer relevant incentives even when faced with limited resources, like the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator.
2. Coordinate regional procurement to consolidate demand, increase market size, and strengthen regional manufacturers’ sustainability. Regional efforts to aggregate demand and pool procurement should be supported while understanding the interaction between regional and global mechanisms to avoid unintended consequences. 
3. Strengthen and streamline regulatory processes by exploring regional reliance mechanisms, regulatory harmonization, inter-regional learnings, and digital tools. Improvements to the WHO Pre-qualification process to accelerate approval processes, and further capacity building for NRAs while maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficacy will facilitate market access for manufacturers and unlock investments.
4. Diversify funding sources to de-risk investments and encourage additional funding that enables local manufacturers to scale, meet demand, and develop new technological platforms and products. Blended finance and mechanisms like advanced market commitments, volume guarantees, and public-private partnerships should continue to be explored.
5. Mixed portfolio approaches across pathogens, platforms, and product types will enhance sustainability while strengthening regional health security and equity in access
6. Investments in supply chains can also offer better data, visibility, and responsiveness, allowing for more precise demand forecasting. Increased transparency along the value chain will improve the ability to accurately predict and adapt to long-term demand.
7. Communities’ needs must continue to inform regional research and development. This will build trust in locally made vaccines, including those imported from other parts of the region. Additional investments in surveillance would provide greater intelligence on routine needs and outbreaks, further strengthening demand assessments. 

Many partners are already actively advancing initiatives in support of these recommendations. This call is for supporting, aligning, and accelerating activities. RVMC will continue to convene partners to align efforts and jointly develop more specific recommendations at a global convening in April 2025, on the sidelines of the World Local Production Forum.